The Phantom of the Dark
by Ghost Mana
Summary: Fixed it up a bit.... no, not really, but its still very cool!! Peter gets attacked....


Authors notes: i must say i am finally quite proud of this fic because i wrote it when i was 13.  
  
  
  
THE PHANTOM OF THE DARK  
  
  
He put on his best dress shirt; a dark maroon shirt that was slightly faded around the buttonholes. A pair of black jeans in which a  
tint of white was the result of too much detergent in the washing machine at the local Laundromat. He straightened his red and white  
striped tie, combed his short cropped, salt and pepper hair and shaved. He then selected his favorite pair of shoes and slipped into  
his brown suede jacket.  
He was a little under six feet and proclaimed a muscular, yet gentle, stature. He put on his helmet.  
Peter Axon exited the small, one-person apartment that was lent to him from his friend Lewis and, after turning the key and putting  
his Harley Davison into ignition, Peter sped off down the road, leaving a cloud of smoke and dust behind him.  
  
  
When he entered the conference room by means of a sliding door, he was greeted by four familiar faces.  
  
"Hey Pete," said Matt, before shoving a bit of his Bran Muffin into his grinning mouth.  
Anton and Cooper were too immersed in their conversation to acknowledge Peter's presence.  
  
Lindsay smiled. "Good morning sunshine," she said.  
  
"Linds'"Peter protested, jokingly, "It's morning and mornings are never good. They start too early."  
Peter smiled and took his seat on the left of Matt. He reached over and took a chocolate chip muffin out of the Tim Horton's box.  
"So," he said, "what's new?"  
  
"Elsinger gave me the overall," explained Matt, "Apparently, there has been sightings of this strange thing running around back in the  
woods. It comes out at night and spreads havoc among the villagers."  
"Has it ever been sighted?" Coop asked.  
  
"Twice," said Matt, "One person didn't live to tell the tale." Matt made his voice sound creepy, he grinned.  
  
"And the other one?" asked Lindsay, suddenly interested.  
  
"A child," Matt said, sadly, "Fifteen year old Hope Canaan."  
  
"What happened?" asked Peter.  
  
"I don't know," said Matt, "that's why I'm going to go and interview her. Oh, Anton, you know how to tape it?"  
  
Anton nodded, "Peter taught me how."  
  
"Good," said Matt, "Come with me. Lindsay, you see what information you get about the town's history."  
  
"What am I suppose to do?" Peter asked half irritated, half interested.  
  
"I'm getting to you," said Matt, "Cooper, you and Pete go to the forest and hook up some surveillance cameras, okay?"  
Everybody got up to do their jobs.  
  
  
When Matt and Anton arrived at Hope's address, her father answered the door. "Hi," he said.  
  
"Hi," said Matt, "we've come to talk with you daughter."  
  
"What do want with Bethany?" he asked, mildly shocked.  
  
"No, no," corrected Matt, "you other daughter, Hope."  
  
"Oh yes, I remember. Come on in," he said, "she's in the den watching television." The tall, muscular man stepped out of the way.  
Hope was about five foot five. She had straight brown hair that had a slight curl at the bottom, glasses, green eyes and a pale  
complexion. She was wearing blue Nikey track pants with yellow stripes and a black t-shirt. Hope was sprawled on the couch with the  
remote in hand, clicking through the channels.  
  
"Damn it,"she muttered,"thirty-seven channels and nothing good on." She sighed and turned off the tv. Only then was she aware of  
the two OSIR members standing in the door.  
  
"Cable sucks, dosen't it?"Matt asked, entering the room,"satelite is way better. Matt Paeger."  
  
Hope looked up,"Huh? Oh, hi."  
  
Matt opened his mouth to say something.  
  
"I know, I know,"Hope said, exasperated,"Dad told me somebody was coming to interview me about what I saw. Ah well. I've  
related it hundreds of times, what's once more."  
  
"Okay..."Matt helped Anton set up the tripod and put the videocamera in place.  
  
"Have a seat,"Hope said to Matt.  
  
Matt took a spot on the left of Hope,"Ready Anton?"   
  
"Action."  
  
Matt turned to Hope,"So,"he said,"what time were you in the forest?"  
  
"About three in the afternoon,"she said.  
  
"Why were you in the forest?"  
  
"I was upset. The forest is soo pretty and I needed to get away from my dad and Damion and Bethany."  
  
"Bethany is your sister, I know that much, but who's Damion?"  
  
Hope sighed,"Damion is my older brother."  
  
"Oh okay. What happened when you were in the forest?"  
  
"I was walking up to my favorite spot in this cool cave that I had been going to ever since I was four. I had to get back to the house  
before supper at seven o'clock. I had this strange feeling that somebody was watching me. I turned around, back toward the house  
and heard a twig snapping behind me I swirled around just in time to see this strange... thing run away."  
  
"What did it look like?"asked Matt.  
  
"Big,"Hope said.  
  
"Uh huh... can you elaburate?"  
  
"It looked like a shadow. It was on it's hind legs..."her voice had a tone of fear,"It was furry and also wearing clothes. It was human,  
but it wasn't. I saw something glimmer on the side of it's 'face'."Hope shuddered when she finished relating her memories.  
Matt and Anton thanked her and left.  
  
  
"How do we get the cameras up there?"asked Cooper, staring up at the branches of the maple trees. The lowest branches were six  
feet off the ground with the higher ones parallel three feet above them. "Hmmm... I know."Peter pulled a ball of string from his  
jacket and borrowed Cooper's small specimen bucket. The bucket had tons of little air holes.  
  
"Now,"explained Peter,"I'll give you a boost up to that low branch there."  
  
"Me?!"protested Cooper,"Why me?"  
  
"You're lighter,"Peter said, grinning,"now c'mon. We can't argue all day."  
  
Cooper sighed, relizing Peter was right, and got up to the branch.  
  
"Now,"said Peter,"I'll throw you this ball of string. You drop one end over that branch above you and toss ends down to me."  
  
Cooper did that and both ends were tossed down and Peter caught them. The string didn't quite touch the ground. Peter put one end  
through the hole on one side of the bucket and tied it. He then did the same with the other side and string. He placed one of four mini  
survallence camera in the bucket, balanced it up and said,"Eureka!"  
  
"Okay Coop,"Peter called,"Pull it up."  
  
Cooper did that and hooked up the survalence camera,"Not a bad idea,"Coop said admiring his work and Peter's idea.  
  
"Why thankyou Coop."  
  
They put a survalence camera in every one of the four 'corners' in the clearing. Peter helped Cooper out of the tree.  
  
"Let's head back to the lab,"suggested Cooper,"I want to find out what Matt and Lindsay found out."  
  
"Yeah alright,"Peter agreed.  
  
  
Back at the lab, everyone had finished watching the video that Anton taped.   
  
"Nice job Anton,"Peter said.  
  
"Pete,"said Matt,"Did you and Coop get the survalence cameras set up?"  
  
"Yes we did."  
  
"Any trouble?"  
  
"Cooper can't climb trees."  
  
"Okay..."said Matt,"Lindsay?"  
  
"The town is basically as normal as they get."  
  
"And the history?"  
  
"Clean as a whistle."  
  
Matt sighed,"Alright then."  
  
"Lindsay,"Peter asked,"do you know who the other person who saw this thing?"  
  
"Someone named Lisa Hawkes,"Lindsay answered.   
  
  
  
  
When the meeting ended, Peter left to see what he could see from the survalence cameras. He had his own special lab room. He  
yawned, settled back in the chair and clicked on the television that got the survalence camera's frequancy.   
It was all staic. There was no picture, just the loud sound of static. Peter was surprised,"Oh no..."  
He jumped up and left the mobile lab, heading for the clearing on foot. Unfortunatly, he had taken off his comlink before he turned  
on the television. It now lay on the table next to his chair.  
  
  
Peter arrived to something that horrified him. All the cameras were smashed to itty bitty little pieces. The pieces were no longer in  
the trees. They were gathered in the center of the clearing. Peter walked over to the pieces and stared down at them for a minute.  
He sighed. Then something caught his eye. Over in one of the maples Cooper had been on, were five things that looked like  
scratches. Peter went over to examine them.   
The five scratches were approximetley four inches deep. They were long and narrow. They were about seven inches long.  
Peter probably would have continued examining them if he hadn't felt the hot, wet breath on the back of his neck. His thoughts  
were,"Oh crap!"Out loud, he just gulped.  
  
  
"Have you seen Peter?"Matt asked Lindsay.  
  
"He was in his lab room, last I saw."  
  
Just then, Cooper rushed into the room,"Guys, the survalence cameras aren't working and Peter's comlink is in there."  
  
"Oh no,"Matt said. They rushed into the woods.  
  
  
He turned around and, before he get a good look, a strong furry hand, claws out, smaked Peter in the left cheek. Peter still in shock,  
the thing picked Peter up, and with it's incredably strong arms, the thing tossed Peter backwards. He flew twenty feet and hit his  
head on one of the high tree branches. Peter landed on the ground at the base of the tree next to the scratch marks. Now, with Peter  
unconscious, the thing moved in for the kill.  
  
  
"C'mon!"Cooper yelled,"this way!"  
Matt, Anton and LIndsay trailed Coop by a metre or so. Cooper could really run if he wanted to.  
  
"Hurry up!"he yelled,"we're almost there!"  
  
  
The thing was standing over Peter. If Peter could smell, it's foul breath would make Pete gag. It reached down for the limp body and  
took Peter's maroon shirt into it's teeth. Then it pulled up rather quickly, ripping a piece of Axon's shirt off. It rose it's head and  
sucked some air into it's nose. Along with that air came a farmiliar smell. Humans. It turned away and retreated towards the heart of  
the forest, the small piece of Peter's shirt still in it's grasp.  
  
  
The humans he smelled were Cooper fallowed by LIndsay with Matt and Anton close behind.  
"Pete?"Matt yelled,"Pete?"  
  
"Peter?"Cooper yelled.  
  
"My God... Anton!"Lindsay yelled.  
  
"Uh, Lindsay,"said Matt,"we're calling for Peter, not Anton."  
  
"Matt!"LIndsay called, irritated,"I found him."  
  
Everybody ran over and hudled near Peter.  
  
"Holy..."said Cooper.  
  
Anton took charge,"Okay everybody,"he ordered,"Matt, Cooper, go back to the lab and get the gurney. Lindsay, you stay here."  
Anton opened his black medical bag. He cleaned the blood off of Peter's forehead, and wrapped Pete's head. Then gently, very  
gently, cleaned the blood off of Peter's cheek where he had been smacked. He had long scratches down the left side of his face.  
Anton bandaged Pete's face and felt for broken bones. Thankfully, he found nothing but a badly sprained right ankle. Just then Matt  
and Coop arrived with the gurney.  
Anton and Matt lifted Peter onto the gurney.  
  
Just before she left, Lindsay saw the scratch marks on the tree.  
  
  
Later that day, everyone (except lindsay and peter) was sitting in their usual seats in the conference room.  
  
"Give it to us straight, Doc,"asked Matt.  
  
"Peter has a mild cuncussion, five strange gnashes on the left side of his face and a badly sprained right ankle,"Anton said.  
  
Matt whistled and Cooper muttered,"Poor Peter..."  
  
Just the the door slid open, it was Lindsay.  
  
"Guys,"she said smiling,"Peter's awake."  
  
Everybody got up and went to see him.  
  
  
"Peter,"said Matt grinning with open arms,"how are you?"  
  
Peter looked surprised and confused,"I'm okay... Question."  
  
"Anything," said Cooper, joyously.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You don't remember?"asked Anton.  
  
"No."  
  
"You were in the woods. We don't know what happened, but we found you at the base of a maple tree. Near these weird scratches,"  
Lindsay explained.  
  
"Scratches...?"Peter thought aloud,"Ah yes. I saw those. Then I was attacked by this... this big hairy thing."Peter went on to give  
them the exact information that Hope had given them.  
  
"We definately have a problem on our hands,"Matt grimanced.  
  
  
Peter Axon awoke with a start. Beads of sweat tricked down his forehead and disappeared into the neck of his t-shirt. His chest  
heaved up and down as he gasped for breath. The thick white bandage around his head pulsed in and out to the tune of his heart  
beat. As usual, he was sleeping in his clothes and a pair of sneakers.  
Only five minutes before, he had been sleeping comfortably in his bed in Lewis' apartment.Then came the noises. Peter heard a shrill  
squeal and cringed when he heard clawing at his closed bedroom door.  
Peter quietly got up and walked over to the door. He hesitated for a minute, then took a deep breath. He turned the knob and pulled  
the door open.   
Not too surprised, Peter stared at the outside of the door. It was clawed to pieces by the same size claw marks he and Lindsay had  
seen on the maple tree. Peter was startled when he heard his favorite reading lamp being smashed to the ground. He ran into the  
livingroom. Thankfully, he was too frightened to be angry.  
Peter felt a cold air draft and entered the kitchen. The front door was wide open. Dressed in the clothes he wore yesturday, Peter  
ran outside, after grabbing a flashlight. He got outside just intime to see a shadow with glowing yellow eyes disappear into the forest.  
Peter chased it. Flashlight in full beam and the full moon covered completely with clouds, Peter stumbled through the woods. Pretty  
near falling on his face, Peter chased it to a clearing in the heart of the forest.  
It stopped in the center of the clearing, the center of the forest and Peter stopped in the bushes on the outskirts. The clouds cleared  
away from the moon, revealing the bright, sphere-like object in the sky. It seemed to being hovering just above it's head, casting an  
eerie glow about the clearing.  
Peter had to try very hard not to gasp when he saw it's true form. Now he understood why it had hurt him soo badly.  
It's eyes glowed a bright yellow, like those of a cat. It's razor sharp teeth glistened through it's powerful jaws, tightly grasping the  
torn piece of Peter's maroon shirt. It's hind legs were strong and sturdy. Dark brown fur was knotted on it's heavy built chest. When  
it moved, it's muscles rippled up and down it's back, close to it's spine. The real shocker, though, was it's hands and feet. Long,  
sharp nails invaded each of it's ten fingers and toes. It was a werewolf.  
The werewolf tossed it's atrocious head back and let out such an evil howl, it sent shivers going up and down Peter's back at a  
hundred miles an hour.  
The werewolf growled deep in it's throat and retreated into the bushes.  
  
Peter stood up, extremely shook up. He grabbed his flashlight and and, he too, retreated into the forest. But instead of fallowing the  
werewolf some more, Peter ran all the way back to Lewis' house.  
Upon entering Lewis' house, he glanced at the digital clock on the microwave in the kitchen. The LED display read 3:45pm. Forty-five  
minutes after the witching hour. Peter collapsed into bed and fell asleep instantly.  
  
  
Peter opened the sliding door of the mobile lab. He slumped into the room, draging his feet on the floor and collapsed into his chair.  
  
"Good morning, Peter,"Lindsay said in her usual chirpy voice.  
  
"Good morning."  
  
"Wow,"said Lindsay,"you're certainly singing a different tune."  
  
"I'm just glad it's finally morning,"Peter replied.  
  
"Looks like you could use some more night,"Matt joined the conversation.  
  
"Oh please God, no,"Peter protested.  
  
"What's wrong?"Lindsay asked.  
  
"Last night..."Peter started,"I can't get it out of my head. I've tried, but I can't. I wish I could forget..."  
Lindsay got up and sat to the right of Peter with Matt on the left. Lindsay put an arm around his neck,"Forget what? What did you  
see?"  
"I saw it,"Peter said,"I saw it in clear veiw. It was at Lewis' house last night. In the house. I chased it and... it went into a clearing in  
the heart of the forest..."Peter went on to describe the beast and everything that happened.  
  
"Woah..."Matt said.  
  
  
  
"A werewolf?"Anton asked,"but it can't be the same thing that attacked you and Hope. Don't they only come out during a full moon?"  
  
"Yes and no,"Cooper said,"you see, there is a special type of werewolf. They're called Ulfric. That means leader of the pack of  
werewolves. The aren't human at all, though. That's what makes them special."  
  
"How do we kill it?"Peter wanted to know.  
  
"A silver bullet,"said Matt.  
  
Cooper nodded.  
  
"I'll do the honors of getting the bullets,"said Peter,"it's my turn to buy dinner anyways."Peter left.  
  
  
Peter returned at precisly four o'clock.  
"Foods on!"he hollared as he entered the conferance room.  
Everybody came running.  
  
"Pizza!"Matt cried happily.  
  
Cooper groaned,"Peter, you always get pizza."  
  
"I know,"Peter grinned,"Isn't it great?"  
  
Peter dropped a box of ten silver bullets into Matt's hand, after everybody was finished eating, Peter shrugged,"It's all they had in  
stock."  
"It'll have to do. We go tonight,"Matt announced.  
  
  
It was midnight and a ring of cloud encircled the blue moon. There was a slight breeze, but not enough to make them cold. The air  
held a thick haze of fog which looked very eerie in the large clearing in the centre of the forest.  
"How are you guys doing?"Matt asked through their comlink.  
  
"Dandy,"Peter said sarcastically.  
  
"Cold,"whined Lindsay.  
  
"I can't wait,"Cooper whispered.  
  
"At least somebody is happy,"Matt grinned.  
  
"Matt,"said Peter,"we're about to encounter a large group of werewolves and one very evil one. How many people did you expect to  
be happy?"  
  
"Shhhhhh,"Matt ordered,"I here something..."  
  
Sure enough when everyone listened, they heard rustling noises coming from the bushes. A werewolf, fallowed by five others,  
entered the clearing and sat in a circle. A minute later, one more entered. This last one was bigger than the others and fit Peter's  
description of the ulfric.  
Ulfric stood in the center of the circle and sniffed the air. He, fallowed by the other six, let a deep growl escape their throats.  
  
"They know we're here,"Cooper whispered into his comlink.  
  
Ulfric pointed his nose to the trees and each of them growled and howled furiously. Ulfric growled at his pack and did a surprisingly  
high jump into Peter's tree.  
  
"It recognizes Peter's scent,"explained Cooper, still in a whisper.  
  
Ulfric took a swipe at Peter and missed. Peter, stunned very much so, dropped his loaded gun to the ground. When the 9mm  
browning hit the ground, it fired off a silver bullet, killing one of the six on the ground. It whimpered and dropped dead. Ulfric looked  
at the dead body of his fallower. That look cost him a lot. In that millisecond, Peter jumped out of the tree and pounced on the gun.  
He lifted it up to Ulfric just as Ulfric jumped out of the tree bearing it all. Fangs, claws, squinting yellow eyes, Ulfric really had it in for  
Peter, don't you think? From Peter's veiw, you might think Ulfric was about to do a belly flop onto him.  
Peter pulled the trigger and blew a hole straight through Ulfric's evil black heart. Blood splattered from Ulfric's chest onto Peter. He  
rolled out of the way as Ulfric's now lifeless body hit the grassy ground of the clearing. Dead.  
Five of the six fallowers turned back into humans. The sixth stayed a dead wolf on the Earth.  
Peter sighed and gazed at the exuberant colors of pink, orange and yellow enter the sky as the sun rose.   
  
"Good morning Lindsay,"he said into his comlink.  
  
THE END 


End file.
